Taser incident damages Australia police reputation

An Australian coroner tasked with investigating the death of a Brazilian student who was tasered by several police officers in Sydney in March has called for the policemen to face disciplinary action for their role in the deadly incident.
New South Wales coroner Mary Jerram said on Wednesday that she could not determine the cause of the death of the 21-year-old student, Roberto Laudisio Curti.
Jerram added that the actions of the police officers were “reckless, careless, dangerous, and excessively forceful,” while stopping short of recommending criminal charges.
Curti died within minutes of being tasered up to 14 times, sprayed with pepper spray, handcuffed and held to the ground after running away through Pitt Street in Sydney’s city center in March.
Jerram said many of the police officers had “no idea what the problem was, or what threat or crime was supposedly to be averted, or concern for the value of life.”
In response to Jerram’s findings, Australian Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione admitted the coroner’s report was “quite scathing” but stood by the use of Tasers, claiming, “These weapons save lives.”
Meanwhile, Curti’s family spokesman Michael Reynolds said, “The family and its lawyers believe that charges for certain criminal offences should be laid.”
The family has made a “formal request” to police to “pursue charges against the relevant officers,” the spokesman added.
MR/HSN